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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — a city
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com